Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (ゴジラVSキングギドラ Gojira tai Kingu Gidora?), is a 1991 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho Co., Ltd.. Directed by Kazuki Omori, and featuring special effects by Koichi Kawakita, the film starred Anna Nakagawa, Megumi Odaka, and Akiji Kobayashi. The 18th installment in the Godzilla series, the film featured the return of Godzilla's greatest foe, the three-headed King Ghidorah. Tomoyuki Tanaka had originally desired to create new monster opponents for the series, but after the box office disappointment of 1989's Godzilla vs Biollante, opted to bring back classic foes instead. The film was a box office hit and sequels began on a yearly basis until 1995. It was awarded a Japanese Academy Award for special effects.